PORT TOWNSEND –Voters in Jefferson County Fire District No. 6 (Cape George-Kala Point) on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved an EMS levy that will double the property tax rate from 25 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

When vote counting ended Tuesday night, the levy had received a 71 percent approval, 812 yes to 330 no.

Officials told residents of the district that approving the levy would allow them to hire another firefighter/EMT and to staff fire stations in the district 24 hours a day.

Those stations are currently staffed 12 hours daily.

“Once again the citizens of the District 6 have shown their support,” said Richard A Stapf Jr., a fire district commissioner.

“We try to be fiscally responsible.

“That is the reason why we opted for a replacement levy, not a permanent tax increase.”